Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 15 to 16, 2005

Name: Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 15 to 16, 2005
Start: 2005-12-15T11:56
End: 2005-12-16T17:55
Location: Alaska

December 15 to 16, 2005 · NWS AFG · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong pressure gradient over the southern Chukchi Sea and northwest Alaska strengthened on the 15th and 16th. Blizzard conditions were likely at:Zone 213: Tin City AWOS, Gambell AWOS.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.

A strong pressure gradient over the southern Chukchi Sea and northwest Alaska strengthened on the 15th and 16th. Blizzard conditions were likely at:Zone 213: Tin City AWOS, Gambell AWOS. High winds were reported at: Zone 207: Kivalina ASOS: gusts to 53 knots (61 mph).Zone 208: Kelly River Remote Automated Weather Station site: gusts to 53 knots (61 mph).Zone 213: Tin City AWOS: gusts to 69 knots (79 mph) and Gambell AWOS: gusts to 61 knots (70 mph).

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 15, 4:02 AM AST, 7 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 4:02 AM AST, 7 hours 54 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
402 AM AST THU DEC 15 2005

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS ARE PRETTY SIMILAR THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN THEY
DIVERGE JUST A BIT. BOTH MODELS TAKE THE LOW THAT IS CURRENTLY
POISED IN THE NORTH PACIFIC AND SEND IT NORTHWARD TO NEAR THE
KUSKOKWIM DELTA BY FRIDAY MORNING. AFTER THAT..THE ETA TAKES THE
LOW AND FILLS IT FAIRLY RAPIDLY AND MOVES IT TO NEAR GALENA BY
FRIDAY NIGHT. MEANWHILE THE GFS ESTABLISHES THE LOW IN NORTON
SOUND DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME AND KEEPS THE LOW A LITTLE DEEPER.

BOTH MODELS DO SEND A LITTLE SHOT OF COLDER AIR BEHIND THE LOW
INTO THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE STATE BEGINNING FRIDAY EVENING.

THE LOW RUNNING UP NORTHWARD INTO THE INTERIOR IS BEING GUIDED BY
THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE THAT IS BRINGING ITS AXIS TO A MORE NORTH
AND SOUTH ORIENTATION. THIS WILL USHER IN THE MUCH STRONGER UPPER
LEVEL WINDS FROM THE SOUTH. THIS WILL CHINOOK OUT THE CENTRAL
PORTION OF THE STATE AND ALLOW CERTAIN PLACES SUCH AS DENALI PARK AND
THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE TO SEE FAIRLY STRONG WINDS AND MUCH
WARMER TEMPERATURES WITH LITTLE IF ANY PRECIPITATION.

THE ARCTIC BOUNDARY WILL MOVE NORTHWARD WITH THIS SYSTEM AND ITS
WARM AIR. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME OROGRAPHICALLY ENHANCED SNOWFALL ON
THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE BROOKS RANGE TO BE SEEN.

THE WARM AIR WILL STICK AROUND A FOR ABOUT THE NEXT 10 DAYS. LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK NORTHWARD AND
INUNDATE SOUTHWEST ALASKA. MEANWHILE...COLDER AIR IS PRESENT
NORTH OF THE ARCTIC COAST.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR AKZ209-AKZ217-AKZ219.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ206-AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ210-AKZ211-
AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ218.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.
&&

CF DEC 05

Event by event

3 high wind, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: December 15, 11:56 AM AST to December 16, 5:55 PM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: December 15, 11:56 AM AST to December 16, 5:55 PM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: December 16, 12:53 AM AST to 1:53 AM AST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys

When: December 16, 6:35 AM AST to 7:35 AM AST
Where: Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, December 2005

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5484886, 5484887, 5484885, 5484888.